I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for providing foreign call back number compatibility, for example, for VoIP users who place calls from a static location, where the service was initially installed by the service provider. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing foreign call back number compatibility for voice-over-internet-protocol E9-1-1 calls.
II. Background Information
The internet has become a mainstream network for communicating not just data, such as email and pictures, but also for providing real-time bi-directional voice communications. Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) is an industry standard that has evolved to enable users to place telephone calls through the internet, instead of through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A conventional telephone may now be connected to the internet using an interface device that converts analog telephone signals to digital signals that can be communicated through the internet. A telephone call may be communicated through the internet to a VoIP provider, who converts the call back to an analog signal and places the call through a PSTN that is local to the called telephone. Accordingly, a user can dial a telephone number in a conventional manner and have the call routed through the internet, instead of through a PSTN.
Some telephone services, however, may only be available to users who make calls through a PSTN, and may not be available if the calls are made through the internet. For example, when a user places a call to an emergency number, such as a “911” call, through a PSTN, the emergency call may be routed to a public safety answering point (PSAP). The caller's location and the calling telephone's number may be automatically communicated to a PSAP technician, who may then route the call to the proper emergency service provider.
Users who subscribe to VoIP services may elect to be assigned a telephone number that is not local to that user's local geographic rate center (e.g., a non-local telephone number or a foreign call back number.) For example, a user who resides in Atlanta, Ga., may elect to have a telephone number that is local to Chicago, Ill. Accordingly, such a VoIP telephone number may not be able to be forwarded directly to the PSAP that is normally associated with the caller's location, and/or it may not provide useful information on the caller's location if it were able to be forwarded directly to the PSAP.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for methods and systems for providing foreign call back number compatibility more optimally. Furthermore, there is a need for providing foreign call back number compatibility for VoIP E9-1-1 calls.